Bog at 4500 m

A couple of pictures from a bog at 4500 m. along the Juliaca - Arequipa road. Left: Baird's Sandpiper and right: Andean Negrito.

Ground-Tyrant 6

Ochre-naped Ground-Tyrant

The bird was seen at a bog at 4500 m, and showed well the yellowish nape pach. Although the bird was large it had a slim body. Photos Arequipa - Juliaca road 20.09.07 (also the two next posts).

Ground-Tyrant 5

Several large Ground-Tyrants were seen along a stream at 4400 m. I believe all of them were White-winged Ground Tyrants. The two first pictures shoves adult birds whit some rufous on the crown. The birds have a grayish-brown back and a more bulky body than the Ochre-naped Ground-Tyrant.

Ground-Tyrants 4

Plain-capped Ground-Tyrant photographed at 4100 m. The bird has no spot at lower mandible, and also a bluish-grey back and off-white underparts. The bird also presents a brow that reaches behind the eye (that distinguishes it from Cinereous Ground-Tyrant). I had no possibility to compare with other birds, but it looked somewhat large. Not also the color at the crown (difficult to see because of quality reduction).

Laguna Lagunillas (4300 m) 14.09.07

The road to Juliaca ”touches” the north-western part of Laguna Lagunillas, these pictures are from this high altitude lake during a daytrip to Juliaca (se next post).

Pictures: Crested Duck (first picture), Wilson's Phalarope (bottom left) & Puna Teal (bottom right).

Daytrip to Juliaca 14.09.07

I had a job related trip Arequipa – Juliaca - Arequipa yesterday. I stopped and did some birding at suitable sites, mostly looking for Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, and yes, I found at last one at a bog close to the highest point at the road “Cruce Alto” at 4528 m. I did not look especially after passerines, so there are not many of them on the trip list. I took all pictures between 3500 and 4500 m.

White-tufted Grebe 2, Night Heron 3, Little-blue Heron 1, Puna Ibis 40+, Andean Ibis 2, Chilean Flamingo 60+, Andean Goose 12, Crested Duck 2, Speckled Teal 50+, Puna Teal 10+, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle 2, Cinereous Harrier 1, Puna (Variable) Hawk 1, Mountain Caracara 40+, American Kestrel 10+, Common Moorhen 3, Andean Coot 100+, Andean Lapwing 20+, Diademed Sandpiper-Plover 1+, Buff-breasted Sandpiper 1, Greater Yellowlegs 2, Sandpiper sp. 4, Puna Snipe 1, Wilson’s Phalarope 200+, Grey-breasted Seedsnipe 7, Andean Gull 20+, Rock Dove, Black-winged Ground-Dove, Andean Flicker 6, Common Miner, Plain-breasted Earthceeper, White-winged Cinclodes, Bar-winged Cinclodes, Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant, Rufous-naped Ground-Tyrant, Andean Negrito, Blue-and-white Swallow, Andean Swallow, House Wren, Chiguanco Thrush, Bright-rumped Yellow-Finch, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Black Sisikin.

A couple of Andean Goose (and one Andean Gull) at a frozen bog.



Mountain Caracaras having a party (left), and immature Mountain Caracara (right)

Ground-Tyrant 3

I think that this is White-browed Ground-Tyrant, but I am not sure if it is possible to rule out Puna Ground-Tyrant. Does anyone have any suggestions? The pictures are from Chiguata at 3000 m 31.07.07. Altitude, location (farmland) and supercilium (behind eye) indicates White-browed Ground-Tyrant.

Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch

It is possible to confuse the Ash-breasted Sierra- Finch female with several other small birds, especially female Plain-colored & Band-tailed Seedeater. Band-tailed Seedeater has a band in the tail, sometimes only visible in flight. The dark bill also distinguishes the Ash-breasted Sierra-Finch from the Seedeaters stubbier and more pinkish bill. The female Plumbeous Sierra-Finch is somewhat more streaked and slightly lager (Pictures from Chiguata at 3000 m, 31.07.07).

A dangerous place to raise "the kids"

The Oasis Hummingbird seems to be able to build its nest almost everywhere. However I was surprised when I discovered several nests among the electric cables in the street. Only one of the nests was used by Oasis Hummingbird. At least the bird had no problem with predators (even human beings), but it looks like a dangerous life anyway (Pictures from Arequipa 1-6.09.07).

Ground-Tyrant 2

Both pictures shove Rufous-naped Ground-Tyrant of the occipitalis subspecies (Chiguata 31.08.07).

Ground-Tyrant 1

Ground-Tyrants are not easy
to identify. This is a Spot-billed
Ground-Tyrant. At the picture
you can see the yellow spot at
the base of lower mandible.
The best way (and only reliable?)
to seperate this species from
Cinereous Ground-Tyrant is to observe this spot.


Spot-billed Groud-Tyrant
from behind. All pictures
from Chiguata 31.08.07.



Last picture: Here you can also see the short white supraloral. The yellow spot at lower mandible is dificult to see at this picture.